


Banished Yet Again

by Johmega



Series: How It Might Go [4]
Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29842773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johmega/pseuds/Johmega
Summary: In which Cadsuane learns that Rand is still alive, and seeks him out with the begrudging help of Elayne.
Relationships: Rand al'Thor/Elayne Trakand
Series: How It Might Go [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194077
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Banished Yet Again

The moment Cadsuane heard the wild rumor that the boy Rand Al’Thor was still alive somewhere, she began going down the grapevine herself. This wasn’t usually work for the Amyrlin Seat, but this was something she didn’t want anyone else knowing about. Several hours and over a dozen links in the chain later, she found herself strutting across the floor of the Caemlyn throne room, staring icicles into the girl sitting upon the Lion throne. “Elayne Sedai, we must speak privately,” she said. Clearly taking note of her tone, Elayne nodded curtly and took her off to a sitting room. 

“Somehow, I managed to make it here without the Sitters or my Keeper noticing. I’d give it a few hours at most,” she said as soon as the doors were shut and the ward against eavesdropping woven. “Mother, whatever it is you’re about to say or ask of me had better be important.” She smirked, oh it was important enough certainly. The whereabouts of the Dragon Reborn? Important enough by leaps and bounds. “The day after Tarmon Gai’don, I saw a man riding away from the pyre. There was something interesting about him, I was sure. Now, I know who he was.” It was a fortunate thing that Elayne had not yet mastered the collected face typical of Aes Sedai, as now her face told her everything she needed to know. “I know he's the father of your children, you announced as much during the Last Battle. Now I’m sure you know where he is. He’s still alive, isnt he?” she questioned. Elayne sat down and sighed, “Yes, he’s alive; and yes, I know where he is. No, I will  _ not _ tell you where he is.” Of course she wouldn’t agree to do it right off the bat. Now came the fun part. 

“If you do not bring me to him  _ immediately _ , I will send an order for all the  _ ter’angreal _ your people have made here to be brought to the Tower.” At this, Elayne's face hardened. “By Tower Law, all  _ ter’angreal _ are the property of the Tower, your ownership of the Andoran Ter’angreal Research and Development Department is only on sufferance of me. Light, I could reasonably take the people involved too!” The expression on the woman across from her grew sourer with each word. “Light blind you Cadsuane, you know how much I take pride in that! Fine, I’ll take you to him, but I can’t guarantee cooperation on his part. You know how he was regarding you, for a time at least.” Cadsuane nodded, he had been rather, ah, distrusting, as the end drew near. No, distrusting was too weak a word. Rand had been downright suspicious of her! Bloody woolhead of a man, always so anxious when she was near. To his credit though, he  _ had  _ gotten over it. “Here goes nothing,” she heard the Queen mutter as she opened a gateway and pulled her through. 

They stood on the crest of a small hill, perhaps somewhere in the Black Hills? Atop the hill with them stood a tall, black-haired man. He was looking at them, eyes narrowed. “What are  _ you _ doing here? Did you bully Elayne into taking you to me? I don’t want anything to do with you. You or any Aes Sedai. Leave me alone.” With that, the man Cadsuane figured was Rand simply disappeared. No gateway for Travelling, no strange distortion of a True Power gateway. He was just gone. “How in the Light did he do that?” Elayne just shook her head, “I don’t know. He told me he was burnt out, but now somehow he’s able to bend the Pattern to his will.” A memory flashed across Cadsuanes mind, and a chill passed through her. “Make another gateway. Now.” And she did. 

This time, he stood on a well-worn pillar in some desert, probably the Aiel Waste. This time, he didn’t even say anything before shooting an exasperated glare at her and disappearing again. Another gateway. This time Elayne stopped before fully opening the gateway. He was underwater! How in the Light did he do this stuff!? Thinking quickly, she wove a weave of Water to part the ocean, but she wasn’t strong enough to go all the way to the bottom. Elayne nudged her, and she noticed she had another gateway open already. He’d moved again. After almost two hours of gateway hopping, they stepped out of a gateway, only to arrive on the roof of the White Tower itself. 

This time, Rand didn’t run away. In fact, he stepped towards them, a sword suddenly appearing in his hand. Did he really think that would help him against two full Aes Sedai? She extended a flow of Air to take it away, but to the surprise of both of them, the weave vanished several feet before it even touched him. Elayne quickly wove and threw a much larger weave at him, intending to restrain him completely. It, too, dissipated before him. “Rand you woolhead, stop it! She just wants to talk with you.” Cadsuane opened her mouth, but said nothing, as she found herself encased in stone from the neck down. He stepped forward, eyes inches from her own. Every weave of Earth she made to break away the rock disappeared before it did anything. “Cadsuane Sedai. Allow me to make myself perfectly clear. I do not want anything to do with the White Tower, or the Black Tower, or any channeling group.” She scoffed, “you bloody ox of a thimble-brained man, we need to talk. How are you in a different body? How are you able to do these things? We need to study you in the White Tower for a time to answer these questions.” 

His eyes narrowed. “I won’t be going into the Tower. However, I can answer both of your questions right here.” The stone around her disappeared, and he began speaking, “as far as I know, the reason I’m in Elans body is because one time, both of us were weaving balefire, and the balefire beams touched. It’s a stretch but it's the only thing I can think of.” What in the Light was he talking about? Who’s Elan? Apparently she’d said that last out loud, for he answered, “the name Ishamael went by before turning to the Shadow.” Oh, she knew that. The former names of most of the Forsaken were recorded somewhere in the Tower libraries, and Ishamaels was one of them. “So what about the other thing, your new power? Elayne here says you’re able to ‘bend the Pattern to your will’, as bloody insane as it sounds.” He nodded. “I talked it over with Perrin a couple years ago, and the conclusion we arrived at is that I can change the waking world as if it were the World of Dreams.” His expression suddenly darkened. “No, I won’t let you take me into the Tower for study. I’m finally free of all ties, bonds of fate and man, and I want to keep it that way.” He briefly had a thoughtful look upon his face. “Plus, nothing like this has ever happened in all of the Age of Legends, so I doubt you would know anything about it.” “No one in the Age of Legends had ever managed to reverse stilling.” 

He grunted. “Fair point. I still won’t let you take my freedom away now. I literally died for it, you know? If you try to take me in, I’ll make do on what I said in the manor all those years ago.” Cadsuane paled. Right. He could actually do that now. Well, she’d gotten most of what she wanted, so she nodded -a bit shakily- and said “Very well, I’ll try to keep this from the Hall. As soon as I get back to the Tower they’ll call a meeting to drill me on where in bloody Light I went. I can’t guarantee they won’t try what I did.” She snorted. “Actually, I can almost guarantee that they  _ will _ . You’d best keep your eyes out, boy.” Rand sighed and shook his head. “They will try. I doubt any weave short of balefire can stop me anymore.” Too much power for one man. As if he hadn’t been powerful enough! Now he could bend the flaming Pattern itself to his will. She shuddered again, thinking of that moment again. Far too much power. Elayne gave a parting wave to him before opening a gateway back to Andor. Rand just… disappeared again. Creator knew where  _ he _ went. She wove her own gateway to her quarters. 

And found four Sitters waiting at the door. Blood and BLOODY ashes! 

**Author's Note:**

> Rand does NOT want to be bothered. 
> 
> Special thanks again to Zorpisuttle for beta-ing this.


End file.
